1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing film-shaped optical waveguides which are widely used for optical communications, optical information processing and other general optics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical waveguides are incorporated in optical devices such as optical waveguide devices, optical integrated circuits and optical interconnection boards, and are widely used in the fields of optical communications, optical information processing and other general optics. Such an optical waveguide typically includes a core having a predetermined pattern and serving as a light passage, and an under-cladding layer and an over-cladding layer which cover the core.
An exemplary optical waveguide production method hitherto proposed is such that a plurality of optical waveguides are formed on a substrate in consecutively juxtaposed relation (with no spacing therebetween) and then the resultant substrate is cut along boundaries between the adjacent optical waveguides into individual on-substrate optical waveguides by dicing (see, for example, JP-A-2003-172839). Another optical waveguide production method is such that an optical waveguide film body including a plurality of film-shaped optical waveguides is formed by forming cores and an over-cladding layer on a film serving as an under-cladding layer and then the film-shaped optical waveguides are individually cut from the film body by stamping or by means of laser (see, for example, JP-A-2006-154447).
Where the dicing or the laser is employed for individually cutting the optical waveguides, however, the productivity is lower. Particularly, the optical waveguides often each have a complicated overall configuration depending on its use purpose. It is difficult to individually cut the optical waveguides into the complicated configuration, thereby reducing the productivity. Further, the stamping requires preparation of different stamping dies for different configurations of optical waveguides, thereby increasing the production costs. In addition, cutting dust is liable to adhere to the optical waveguides to reduce the quality reliability of the optical waveguides. Therefore, these methods require improvement in the aforementioned aspects.